1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to condoms for use by male persons during sexual intercourse and, more particularly, to condoms that are of variable stiffness.
2. Description of the Related Art
The earliest published description of the condom was by the Italian anatomist Gabriel Fallopius in 1564. Early condoms were generally made from animal intestines or fish membrane and were mostly used to prevent the sexual transmission of disease, a task which they often inefficiently performed. However, by the 17th century, condoms were used as a contraceptive as well.
Most condoms were made of vulcanized rubber from the 1840s to the 1930s after the discovery of the process for vulcanization of rubber by Charles Goodyear in 1839, and condoms have been a popular, efficient, and generally convenient contraceptive method since the second half of the 19th century. Since the 1930s most condoms have been made from latex. (The above historical material is based on information from The New Encylopedia Britannica, Vol. 3, p. 522, Vol. 15, p. 114, 15th Edition, Encyclopedia Britannica, Inc., 1990.)
Recently with the large increase in births out of wedlock in the United States of America and many other western countries and the outbreak of Auto-Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) globally, the use of condoms as a contraceptive method and as a method of preventing the spread of sexually transmitted diseases has become urgent, both from a medical point of view and a societal point of view.
However, there are certain well known drawbacks to the use of condoms, at least from the point of view of the male user. Some of these drawbacks are the inconvenience and delay occasioned by the necessity of applying a condom immediately prior to intercourse when an erection of the penis is present. The often cumbersome process of applying the condom can result in a loss of erection during the time required for application making the condom useless and resulting in the frustration of the user. Even if application is successful, many male users complain of a loss of sensation and pleasure due to the interposition of the condom between the penis and the vagina during intercourse. These drawbacks cause condoms to be irregularly used and, thus, to fail to fulfill their purposes.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,281,648 issued to Rogers discloses an inflatable condom with a conventional tubular anterior portion apparently fitting over the base and lower shaft of the penis and an inflatable secondary portion extending from the anterior portion inflated by an air duct extending from the anterior portion to the secondary portion. Rogers purportedly enlarges the size of the penis in order to compensate for maladjustment in the two partners during coition.
However, Rogers seems to produce this enlargement only through the enlargement achieved by the inflatable secondary portion. In particular, there is minimal or no enlargement of the penis itself through lateral pressure since minimum ballooning of inner wall 12, presumably in contact with the penis after application of the condom, is desired when the expandible sheath 5 included in the secondary portion is inflated, (column 3, lines 37-41). Thus, it seems that Rogers increases the apparent size of the user's penis as sensed by the female participant without materially increasing the actual size of the user's penis or improving the user's erection. Moreover, the location of application of whatever pressure is exerted on the user's penis in Rogers seems to be at the end of the shaft of the user's penis and at the glans. Rogers fails to disclose or suggest pressure at the base of the penis, the most advantageous place to apply pressure in order to improve a user's erection and increase the size of the user's erect penis, as will be explained below.
This invention overcomes the drawbacks of Rogers by increasing the size of the user's erect penis, and increasing the duration and hardness of the user's erection through exertion of lateral pressure in locations designed to produce these results, especially including the base of the user's penis.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,432,357 issued to Pomeranz discloses a condom which has a deformable chamber or chambers filled with a rheopexic fluid. A rheopexic fluid has the characteristic of thickening with increasing shear stress. The movements during intercourse allegedly create such shear stress causing the thickening of the fluid and the stiffening of the condom. This stiffening of the condom simulates an erection, (column 3, lines 32-36). This stiffening also creates pressure around the base end of the penis at least in one embodiment, thereby prolonging a user's erection by prolonging the time required for disengorgement of blood vessels within the penis, according to the disclosure in Pomeranz, (column 5, lines 1-8).
Pomeranz, although purportedly addressing the problem of a loss of pleasure, does not ameliorate the problem of a loss of erection during application since any stiffening effect would normally only occur during intercourse. Moreover, Pomeranz relies on the use of a rather exotic material, namely, the rheopexic fluid to achieve the desired stiffening effect.
This invention eliminates the drawbacks of Pomeranz by preventing a loss of erection during and after application of the condom and achieves its improvement of the user's erection with the use of readily available methods and without resorting to the use of exotic substances.
This invention makes substantial progress in overcoming the problem of a loss of sensation and pleasure during intercourse, thereby encouraging the more widespread use of condoms, particularly as a contraceptive method and as a measure to prevent the spread of sexually transmitted diseases.